Jondy the Abandoner 5: Dark Angel
by SK194
Summary: Jondy and Aldrea have moved to Seattle. Now what...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Dark Angel is the property of 20th Century Fox and Cameron/Eglee productions. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Jondy the Abandoner five: Dark Angel

Chapter One: The Rooftop

March 5, 2020

It was Aldrea's last day of her first week as a third grader. She liked third grade because she got to do multiplication, which was faster than addition so Aldrea thought it was fun. In third grade they also got to read chapter books for book projects. Aldrea was looking for her book.

"Come on Aldrea," shouted Charlene, Aldrea and her mother's new roommate. She had a daughter named Amy, who Aldrea had made fast friends with.

"I'm looking for my book! Hold on a sec!" Aldrea yelled, and went back to dismantling she and Amy's tiny bedroom. The room was hardly more than a glorified closet, and it came as somewhat of a surprise that two beds could actually fit inside and have three inches to spare, but they did.

Rachel stood fanning herself in the kitchen. "You'll have plenty of time to look for it this weekend Aldrea, but now you're running late for school."

"Yes, c'mon. Let's go!" urged Charlene.

"Okay, okay!" said Aldrea, rushing from her room, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. "I'll see you after school mom! Bye!"

"Bye Kiddo," Rachel sighed. The door closed behind them and all was silent in the apartment. Oh boredom. In an interesting change for Rachel since she had moved to Seattle, she didn't have anything to do. Since she was feeling a bit pensive, she decided to visit the roof. It wasn't as good a spot as the Golden Gate Bridge, but it worked okay.

Rachel stared into the light rain that misted over the Seattle morning. The sunrise appeared hazy through the misty air, and the sight relaxed the dark haired woman. Thoughts were turning over willy-nilly in her mind, so as she sat in her new perch, she began to reflect upon her life and its changes. The changes of her names. She was Rachel, but it was different, because she was Rachel _again_. She had been Jondy for seven years, and then suddenly, she was Aldrea...

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"Aldrea! Aldrea! Where did you go?" Stephanie called.

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Jondy poked her head out of a large bush, "Stephanie, the point of me hiding from Kyle is that you don't _get him started looking for me."_

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"Well I wanted him to know that I didn't know where you were either," the tall, but gawky blonde explained.

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"Well, just cut out the yelling, 'kay?" the ten year old Jondy requested. Receiving a thumbs up from Stephanie, she buried herself back in her hiding spot.

She had been Aldrea for three years, and then she ran away, and then became Rachel. She had been Rachel for a year already. Then Eloise for six years. But the names had an irrational worry over Rachel, because they were someone else. Or at least they were supposed to be.

So far Jondy was the longest lived name, at seven years. But what happened if Rachel Madison became the longest lived? That would take awhile, but Eloise was around for a long time. Could that kill the little girl Jondy?

It was a worrisome thought, as irrational as it was. As much as she loathed her past, she loved it. It was who she was, and some part of her still wanted Jondy to dominate. The little girl Jondy was the one who knew Max and the others. The best people that she had ever known.

Rachel knew good people too, and Rachel was by far the most mature person she had ever been. Rachel had given birth to a beautiful little girl, and she had been too high minded to give her away. Rachel was a much better person than Jondy was. When forced with reality, Jondy would just run away. Rachel, and Eloise too, would stand their ground and do what was right. But even Eloise ran away in the end…

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Cold snow melted between Jondy's toes as she stopped and yelled, "Max!" The water in the jagged hole remained still. No movement. No sign of the girl who had just fallen though. Jondy's feet felt icy and numb. Max's entire body felt icy and numb.

And Jondy ran.

Tears pricked the edges of Rachel's eyes. She was so weak! Always being sucker to that stupid memory! She would always be Jondy so long as she remembered Max. She didn't know what she had been thinking. Only Jondy would've run away from San Francisco and Brian the way she had done.

Jondy was the abandoner, not Eloise. Eloise was just a lie to keep Jondy safe. A stupid lie that broke a man's heart. And Rachel didn't even get to see that gorgeous man's pain. She could only imagine it. She had never even said goodbye.

Tears gushed from Rachel's eyes, and she struggled to think of something good. She shouldn't still be missing Brian, he was long gone. Today was supposed to be a good day! She was starting her new job today, and she was grateful for it.

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March 4, 2020

BRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNG! The telephone ring shrilled throughout the basement. "Who on Earth calls at this hour?" Rachel muttered as she stalked across the room for the phone. Her roommate, Charlene chuckled in her direction. BRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNG!

"Well, it is 8:30," she pointed out. "A lot of people consider that to be daytime."

BRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNG! "That doesn't matter," Rachel said irritably, picking up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, can I speak to Rachel Madison?" a male voice inquired.

"This is."

"This is Jake from Crash. I'm calling to say that we are impressed with your resume and experience. If you're still available we'd like you to come work for us."

"Really?" Rachel grinned. "That is awesome. Thank you! Um, when would you like me to come in?"

"Are you busy tomorrow?" asked Jake.

"Free."

"Come by at seven, we'll get you familiar with our operation."

"Sounds great, thank you so much," Rachel gushed gratefully.

"Okay, see you tomorrow," Jake hung up the phone.

"Still angry?" Aldrea asked her mother.

"Your mom just got a job Kiddo," Rachel said, hugging her daughters head. "Maybe I can get you a late birthday present in a couple of weeks."

Rachel sighed and stood up. She was starting to feel antsy, and there was a bit of cleaning to be done in the kitchen. The kids' cereal bowls from breakfast were still out, and caked with the remains of milk and corn flakes. Aldrea was had already asked when Zack would be coming this morning, because Zack often brought her sugary cereal. Aldrea wasn't a big fan of the plain corn flakes, and that was evident by her only half finished bowl.

Rachel grumbled. "You'd think in a depression kids could at least appreciate the food that is set in front of them. Just because her stupid uncle goes through criminal means to get her treats." Rachel dumped the dishes in the sink and began to rinse them out, Aldrea's corn flakes swirling in the water that began to fill the sink. Rachel grumbled some more. She hated doing the dishes.

Later, dishes finally done, Rachel straightened things out a bit, and looked around the slightly grimy, basement apartment pleased. She'd done a pretty good job cleaning up the place. Well, for a girl who doesn't do much cleaning anyway. She shifted on her feet and fanned herself.

"Ah, what a workout. I'd think I'd rather run than do all this cleaning. It's exercise in a clever disguise. Trickery," Rachel said to herself out loud, yawning. Perhaps she should be taking a nap before she started her shift at work.

Rachel woke up and looked at her clock. Quarter after six. Just enough time for a shower before setting out to Crash. Excellent.

"Mom you're awake," said Aldrea, as Rachel stepped from her bedroom. "I was just about to come wake you. You want some pizza?"

"That's okay Kiddo, thanks. I'm gonna have a shower first, and then maybe I'll grab a slice on my way out."

"Okay, I'll save you one. It's sausage," Aldrea said, setting a piece aside.

Twenty minutes later, Rachel was out the door, munching on a slice of pizza and grinning. Finally, work! Now she didn't have to feel so inadequate about her life.

"Ah, and here's our new bartender," Jake smiled as Rachel entered the bar. The familiar smells of beer, snacks and barstools lingered in her nostrils, along with the unfamiliar smells of the Seattle patrons.

She looked back over at Jake, and he started to explain the system at Crash. Rachel could barely pay attention. She had never noticed before how gorgeous Jake's muscles were. She'd thought he was a bit scrawny before, but she had been wrong.

Before Rachel knew it, she had Jake's shirt off, along with her own. Jake's pants had been unbuttoned, and Rachel was straddling him on the bar counter. She looked down on him ravenously.

"Rachel?" he asked surprised. He sounded confused. "Rachel?"

A hot sheen of sweat blanketed Jondy's body. "Mom?" Aldrea inquired.

Jondy rolled over and looked at her clock. Fifteen after six. Great, just enough time for a cold shower before heading out to her first night at work.

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TBC…


	2. First Impressions

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Jondy the Abandoner five: Dark Angel

Chapter two: First Impressions

Rachel looked good her first night of work, and she knew it. She was wearing black jeans that hugged her backside, and a sage green tank top that showed off her midriff. With her advanced hearing, Rachel knew that she was one of the main topics of conversation in the bar. A greasy looking man in a yellow jersey and a gray hoodie was continually looking her way. He turned to his bald shaven friend, "you think I'd stand a chance with someone as hot as that?"

"Not with your pick up lines," his female friend butted in, shaking her head.

Rachel smiled to herself, and then quickly stopped her line of thought. Being in heat her first night of work was no way to make a good first impression. She tucked her long black hair behind her ears and looked up to find the goofy looking, bald kid standing in front of her.

"Can I get a pitcher of beer?"

A slow smile crossed Rachel's face as the boy watched her slender hands fill the pitcher. She glanced across the room at a group of four guys. She could hear that they were talking about her, "the new bartender" and she was thinking about what was inside the pants of all four of them.

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You are at work, you are at WORK, you are AT WORK! Rachel told herself again and again. She shifted uncomfortably in her jeans as she handed the bald kid his beer. "By the way, I'm Sky," he introduced. "My crew hangs here all the time."

"Rachel," Rachel returned, and shook hands with Sky, the contact of skin on skin tingling her hand. She glanced back over at the group of four guys. Her blue eyes darkened and looked almost navy, and her cheeks flushed. She licked her lips…

YOU ARE AT WORK!

Rachel shook her head and sent her long hair cascading over her shoulders. "Well, it looks like your friends are waiting for you," she directed Sky. He frowned and went back to his table.

"I can't believe you actually thought you'd stand a chance with her," Sky's sassy female friend reprimanded, shaking her curly haired head. Rachel quickly turned around to prevent herself looking at the fine male specimens in the corner again.

She could still hear them talking about her. "Oh man, look at her shoulders. Muscular but not too much. Damn."

"God, everything about her is perfect."

"I didn't think Crash did female bartenders, but I'm glad they've started."

"Hoh yeah."

Rachel closed her eyes tight and tried to get acts of indiscretion off her mind.

"Excuse me ma'am?" Rachel turned around. "Can I get a beer?" It was one of the guys. His face was perfectly chiseled out, and he had puppy dog brown eyes. It almost looked like he was pouting even when he wasn't. Rachel scanned down his physique, noting every last one of his shapely muscles. He was wearing a dark brown t-shirt that was tight over his biceps in the way that drove her crazy even when she wasn't in heat. His brownish-blonde hair was styled so that it fell around his face without looking too long.

Rachel gulped and licked her lips again. "Uh, sure," she said, and fumbled for a glass. For crying out loud, her hands were shaking. _Get yourself together Jondy! _Rachel berated herself. She didn't look up as she poured the man's beer and handed it over.

"You shy?" he asked. "Because you shouldn't waste those pretty eyes on the floor."

Rachel's head snapped up and looked the man in the eyes. She leaned over the counter a bit, breasts pushing tightly against her tank top. "I'm fine," she said in a sultry whisper.

The man blushed and breathed heavily.

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AT WORK!

"You just enjoy that beer now," Rachel told him, sounding more like herself. She looked at her watch. Just one more hour of this. She could make it.

An hour and seventeen minutes later Rachel was pushing Brian, er… Zack, er… _what the fuck was his name?_ onto his bed. She had found him waiting outside for her when her shift was over. They'd had about five minutes, okay three minutes of conversation and then before she knew it, Rachel had ended up here.

Straddling a shirtless man with his jeans undone, she shirtless also, and reaching behind herself to unhook her bra. She removed it as though desperate to be rid of the thing, and slid her naked breasts over the man's chest. "Mmm, what's your name baby?" she inquired.

"Jacque," he replied with a grin. Rachel returned the expression, looking ravenous. Hastily she removed her jeans and plain white panties in one swift movement.

Forty minutes later, Jacque lay asleep, completely exhausted. Rachel was still awake, and ready for more if Jacque would have it, but his slumber remained unbroken. _What are you thinking? _Was the thought that ran through Rachel's head. _Put on your clothes and get out of here, now!_

Reluctantly, Rachel listened to her better judgment, and stealthily crept from Brian's… damn it, Jacque's dilapidated apartment. What the hell kind of name was _Jacque_ anyway? Jeez, what was the matter with her. She could be pregnant right now, and then what. Well, she'd have herself to blame, that much was certain.

It was late enough by the time Rachel got home, that even Aldrea was in bed. Rachel sighed in relief and kneaded her forehead. She needed some air. Or something. She gulped and felt slightly sick to her stomach. How could she be so irresponsible. So out of control.

Gazing out at the moon as it shone over the top of the Space Needle, tears filled Jondy's eyes. If only Brian were here… If only she hadn't left him… Fuck, if only she hadn't gotten engaged to him! If only he'd been there when the time came to run, then he could be here right now, being good to her. She'd never find anyone who was as good to her as Brian had been. Jondy sighed and thanked whatever higher power there may be that she didn't work again until Wednesday.

Sighing, and resigning to let tears pour down her cheeks, Jondy felt like she wanted to die. She couldn't manage to do anything right, and Seattle wasn't panning out to be her city.


	3. The Patrons of Crash

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Jondy the Abandoner five: Dark Angel

Chapter three: The Patrons of Crash

Ten days later…

"Mom! What time are we gonna go?" Aldrea asked, filled with excitement. Her big brown eyes wide and shining.

"Not for another hour Kiddo, now go work on your project." Aldrea nodded and sulked off toward her room. She had been overjoyed to learn that her new school had spring break later than her old school, resulting in her getting another week off. However, her teacher had given her a journaling project, which Aldrea wasn't too keen on keeping up with. She didn't like to journal.

"Mom, I can't think of anything to write about," Aldrea whined. "I don't like writing down real things. I don't want people to read real things."

"Why don't you write about why you have to go to work with me, and then when we get home you can write about what it was like," Rachel suggested.

"But Mooooom…"

"Or, you can even bring your notebook with, and work on it a bit there. There really won't be much for you to do."

Aldrea looked horrified. "You wouldn't make me," she pouted.

"Oh you think I wouldn't?" asked Rachel, in a mock glare. She was frustrated that Aldrea had to come with in the first place. The least the girl could do was keep herself occupied with her homework.

Charlene usually watched Aldrea when Rachel worked, but she and Amy were off visiting Amy's grandmother during the break in school. Aldrea would have to be accompanying Rachel to all of her shifts this week. Rachel sighed, preparing herself for more exhaustion than Aldrea could probably ever create in her, but she needed to be ready just the same.

"Do you know everyone here?" Aldrea asked, as they walked down the stairs into the bar.

"I've only worked here a couple of weeks Aldrea. Jeez!" Rachel said, heading towards the backroom. "C'mon over here and meet my boss. Jake, this is Aldrea, I told you about her coming with me."

"Yeah, hi Aldrea."

"Hi Jake," said Aldrea, beaming up at him. "I'll be well behaved I promise."

Jake smiled. "That's good. Um, I don't know where you wanted her to hang out," said Jake. "I guess she can hang in the break room, or sit at the lonely end of the bar."

"I wanna sit at the bar!" Aldrea grinned, knowing that this idea would bother her mother. Jondy deserved it, making Aldrea do her homework while she was at Crash.

Rachel hid her exasperation well and conceded to Aldrea sitting at the bar. "No alcohol though!" she joked, punching the girl lightly on the shoulder. Aldrea laughed and trotted over to a dark corner to people watch.

Games of foosball and pool were going on, which Aldrea monitored with interest. She sighed, not wanting to admit that her mother was right. Going to work with her was panning out to be rather boring. Half-heartedly Aldrea took out her journal and began to record the progress of a pool game taking place across the room. A sassy African American woman was dominating the table, while her friends joked and rooted for her.

Suddenly Aldrea became aware of someone breathing down her neck. She gasped and spun around on her barstool to find her mother leaning over the bar. "How's it goin' girly?"

"All right," Aldrea replied, glancing back to the group at the pool table. "Aw, the lady over there lost."

"Yeah," Rachel noted. "I hear she's been running it all night too. So, you've resorted to actually doing your homework already, I see."

Aldrea turned away from the two former pool opponents, who were now kissing, to glower at Rachel. If that weren't an 'I toldya so' Aldrea didn't know what was.

"Only three more hours left!" Rachel grinned, moving off to help customers, leaving Aldrea to entertain herself by spinning on her stool. Thank goodness her mother only worked one other shift this week.

After becoming sufficiently dizzy from her stool spinning exercise, Aldrea went back to watching the group by the pool table. One member of the group had left, and the two women who had been playing pool before were now immersed in one another, as a skinning looking bald kid, and a greasy man in a yellow shirt opposed each other at the pool table. Neither of them could play well at all however, and the game was proceeding slowly. The woman who had lost in the last game made sarcastic remarks about the kills of the two players, some of which Aldrea thought were pretty funny, and others she didn't understand. She recorded them all in her journal anyway, figuring she'd get a better grade for having more detail.

Eventually the group relocated themselves to a set of manhole cover tables, as the two females left together. Aldrea sighed. She had been getting sick of watching them anyway. She repositioned herself so she could see a television and spent most of the rest of the evening watching dirt bike crashes.

"How did you like my job?" Jondy asked, as they arrived home after work.

"I thought it was super boring," Aldrea told her, kicking off her shoes. "I don't know how you stand it."

"Well, it can be pretty entertaining," Rachel defended. "Anyway, you must be beat. Off to bed Kiddo."

"I'm going."

"At least I'm sure you got a lot done on your assignment," noted Rachel, suddenly feeling motherly, and wanting very much for Aldrea to do well in school.

"Quite a bit," Aldrea yawned as she climbed into bed and pulled the covers over her head. Jondy smiled, leaning over her daughter, she placed a kiss on the patch of light brown hair that was showing above the blankets.

Aldrea's eyelids drooped as the hip-hop music continued to pulse around her. Tonight was the last night that she would have to join her mother at work, and she was grateful. While it was interesting to see what her mom did, Aldrea was bored. This truly was an adult environment, and after spending three shifts observing it, Aldrea was now positive that she never wanted to grow up. All the did was talk, drink beer and play pool. Boring. And yet, even as boring as this place was, it was packed with people. Aldrea didn't get it., and she yawned again.

A woman a couple of seats down turned to her. "What are you doin' her Kiddo?" she asked.

"How did you know that was my nickname?" Aldrea responded, suddenly jolted out of her sleepy reverie.

The dark-haired woman laughed. "Just a guess. But you must be bored in a place like this."

"Yeah, it's pretty boring," Aldrea agreed. "My mom works here, and my babysitter's out of town."

The woman smiled with her mouth closed and nodded. "That sucks. How much longer are you here for?"

"About another hour. Then I don't ever have to come back again!" Aldrea proclaimed, a rather large grin finding its way to her face.

The woman laughed again. "Well I'm glad Kiddo."

"You seem very happy," Aldrea observed.

"Really? How can you tell?"

"Well, you keep laughing, and your eyes smile."

This elicited more laughter from the woman. "Have you ever had anyone write a poem about you?"

"No."

"I never had either. It's a very odd feeling, to know someone has written about you. Put thoughts on paper about you, you know?"

"Well not from experience obviously," Aldrea pointed out, "but I can imagine anyway."

"Yeah," the woman said, suddenly holding out her hand. "My name's Max."

Aldrea shook Max's hand. "I'm Aldrea. There's a boy in my class named Max. Most people think it's a boy's name."

"Well you've got a pretty unusual name yourself Aldrea," smiled Max, lightly faking a punch to Aldrea's shoulder.

"I know," Aldrea explained. "I just know that most people think Max is a boy's name, but my middle name is Maxine, so I don't' think your name is too weird!"

"Hmm, Aldrea Maxine. Nice name."

"Te-yeah right!" Aldrea laughed. "I'm named after a fictional character, who happens to be an alien, and a dead person. But you know, a lot of people don't really like their names."

"I like mine!" Max said defensively. "And I named my- I mean, I'm named after a dog."

"That's pretty weird!" said Aldrea.

Suddenly Rachel's figure alerted them from behind the bar counter. "Hey Kiddo! C'mon, it's time to go home."

"Okay," Aldrea looked to Max. "It was nice meeting you."

"You too Aldrea," said Max, as she got up from her stool and began scanning the room for her friends. "You have a good night Kiddo."

"So who was that you were talking to?" asked Rachel as they left Crash.

"Just some lady," Aldrea replied.

"Oh, well did you have more fun tonight then, having someone to talk to?"

Aldrea sighed, suddenly eager to get home to her bed. "I guess."


End file.
